Desert Treasure: Claret Cup Bloom
Springtime in the desert is subtle, but sweet. Flowers are few and far between and all the more precious for their rarity, often rising out of bare rock, with no cushion of soil. Out here I never pass by a bloom without stopping to admire its tenacity. The miracle of life, underfoot!
Yellow & Tin
White on Rock
Indian Paintbrush, my favorite!
Yellow Cactus
Cholla Getting Ready
Cholla in Bloom!
Claret Cup, Full Bloom
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About theblondecoyote
Mary Caperton Morton is a freelance science and travel writer with degrees in biology and geology and a master’s in science writing. A regular contributor to EARTH magazine, where her favorite beat is the Travels in Geology column, she has also written for the anthologies Best Women's Travel Writing 2010 and Best Travel Writing 2011. Mary is currently based in Big Sky, Montana. When she’s not at the computer she can usually be found outside -- hiking, skiing, climbing mountains and taking photographs. Visit her website at www.marycapertonmorton.com.
Travels with the Blonde Coyote 
Great shots…. Beautiful
Beautiful photo’s Mary. I like the Claret Cup and The Indian Paintbrush. Happy May Day.
Thanks, Rita!
So beautiful and different to me.
Beautiful pictures! I recently moved to the desert, and it has made me really look at each blooming plant around because each one seems so precious.
Love your photos, do you by any chance have one of a barrel cactus in flower?
Nope. I’ve never seen a barrel cactus around here. I’ll keep an eye out! M
Beautiful, I love all of the surprising life the desert has. While hiking in Joshua Tree, I took a photo of what surely has to be the smallest flowering plant in the world as it was less than 1″ tall, and when I enlarged it, the flowers were covered in bugs that had to be the size of a pinhead, just amazing what is out there.
Very cool, Kenneth. Joshua Tree is an amazing place, not just geologically but also botanically!
Indian Paintbrush is my favorite too!!! Oh how I miss the desert in Canada!!!!
I, also, appreciate every flower I see here. I am lucky to have a little clump of claret cups that blossom right outside the bathroom window every spring. Hooray for flowers in the desert. Carol
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